It really makes no sense to make the effort to eat as much healthy organic produce as you can, only to rinse it with tap water. And, what about the water you drink? Think about it… seemingly healthy green smoothies of fresh organic greens and fruit and…. ummm… tap water. Now, some of you might think you’re okay because you’re drinking bottled water, but drinking water from disposable plastic bottles is an ecological nightmare due to all of the waste plastic produces and the fuel used for shipping. (Consequently, I also avoid letting my food touch plastic whenever possible, which rules out both disposable and refillable plastic bottles. Most of you know that I’m a glass mason jar gal for just about everything.)

Depending on where you live, your tap water might be relatively safe to drink… that is, relative to other municipalities. Municipal water is routinely monitored, with quality reports available for free online. Most cities do a good job of testing for and filtering out the really harmful stuff, but there are two problems. First, laws do not require testing for many dangerous substances, such as hormones and prescription drugs that make their way into the water supply via urine. Second, contaminants can make their way into your water between the treatment plant and your faucet, either in the public pipes or the pipes in your home. There is a great article I just came across from the Wall Street Journal here.

The ideal solution therefore is to filter your own water. There are many household systems available, ranging from small $30 Brita filters that screw onto your faucet, to $2000+ household systems. But the small Brita filters don’t last long and aren’t very effective. The $2000 systems are too expensive for many and don’t make sense for renters.

After much research, we found the answer!The Multi-Pure chrome counter-top (or undercounter) water filters hit the sweet spot with high-end filtration at an affordable price $320-340). Like all good filters, the Multi-Pure is independently tested and certified by the state of California, with test results available here.

But nothing quite beats the taste test. Our unit installed in less than five minutes and when we conducted our own blind taste test, my boyfriend gave me a taste of our new filtered water first. Then he gave me our unfiltered tap water, and I instantly spit it out and yelled “yeccchh” due to the chlorine smell and taste. I had been vaguely aware of it before, but once I compared it to the amazing-tasting filtered water, I could never drink it or prepare food with it again!

I’ve become a true believer. The unit comes with a filter cartridge that needs to be replaced ($60) every 750 gallons, or about 12-18 months, depending on how much water you use. We opted for the stainless steel housing, which has a 25 year warranty. When you do the math, this is absolutely the smartest, cheapest way to drink the healthiest possible and most environmentally responsible water.

This is one of those rare “Why didn’t I do this two years ago?” products. Please help spread the word, about this and the evils of plastic bottles. We plan to give a couple filters as Christmas gifts this year!